How do people with rheumatoid arthritis experience participation in a smoking cessation trial: a qualitative study

Smoking cessation patterns, usefulness of quitting methods, and tobacco cessation motivators and barriers to quit in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

Tobacco use is highly discouraged in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to related short and long-term health implications. We aimed to evaluate smoking cessation patterns in patients with RA. In addition, we ascertained perceptions on the usefulness of quitting methods, and perceived motivators and barriers to quit.

METHODS

We surveyed adults with RA enrolled in the FORWARD Databank who self-identified as former or current tobacco users.

RESULTS

Three hundred forty-eight participants completed the survey and responded to the question "do you currently smoke" (former use = 319; current use = 29). Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) was perceived as extremely/somewhat useful by 31%, followed by individual 27% and group counseling 21%. Experiencing a major health event was the most common motivator to quit. Current users on average smoked 17 cigarettes per day. Six of the 29 current users had used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. The most frequent methods used to quit were "cold turkey quitting," NRT, and prescription medicines. Only 8 of the 23 current users had plans to quit or expressed being ready to make changes to quit. Reasons most frequently listed to not quit were using smoking to manage negative emotions, as a pleasurable habit, to manage other addictions, and to provide a sense of control (e.g., to cope with RA).

CONCLUSIONS

Current users expressed several negative emotions including coping with the disease and "being a pleasurable habit" when trying to quit. Future cessation programs should address these barriers to support patients with RA. Key Points • First study characterizing the smoking behavior of patients with RA in the USA. Current users were younger, had a shorter disease duration, and worse disease outcomes compared to former smokers. • Former and current users reported similar motivators to quit, with experiencing a major health event being most common. Only about a third of participants who quit or who were still smoking received advice from a health professional. • The most common reasons for not quitting were that smoking help to manage negative emotions and was a pleasurable habit. Future studies should focus on cessation programs that support participants with RA by addressing the unique perceptions about smoking in this population.

A systematic review with meta-analysis of the effects of smoking cessation strategies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

Smoking rates among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) exceed those in the general population. This study identified smoking cessation strategies used in patients with RA and synthesized data on their effects.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported effects of interventions for smoking cessation in patients with RA. We searched 5 electronic databases until March 2022. Screening, quality appraisal, and data collection were done independently by 2 reviewers.

RESULTS

We included 18 studies reporting interventions for patients or providers: 14 evaluated strategies for patients (5 education on cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, 3 educational interventions on smoking cessation alone, 3 education with nicotine replacement and counseling, and 1 study each: education with nicotine replacement, counseling sessions alone, and a social marketing campaign). Smoking cessation rates ranged from 4% (95% CI: 2%-6%, 24 to 48 weeks) for cardiovascular risk education to 43% (95% CI: 21%-67%, 104 weeks) for counseling sessions alone. The pooled cessation rate for all interventions was 22% (95% CI: 8%-41%, 4 weeks to 104 weeks; 9 studies). Four interventions trained providers to ascertain smoking status and provide referrals for smoking cessation. The pooled rates of referrals to quit services increased from 5% in pre-implementation populations to 70% in post-implementation populations.

CONCLUSION

Studies varied in patient characteristics, the interventions used, and their implementation structure. Only 3 studies were controlled clinical trials. Additional controlled studies are needed to determine best practices for smoking cessation for patients with RA.

MicroRNA-1592 in the Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Inhibits the Glioma Development In Vivo and In Vitro

This study evaluated the role of miRNA-1592 (miR-1592) carried by exosomes that originated from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) in glioma. BMSCs were cultured and identified, followed by being co-cultured with glioma cells to measure cell invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis by transwell assay and flow cytometry, cell proliferation by MTT, PI3K/AKT signal protein expression by western blot. BMSC-originated exosomes with different concentrations were used as a treatment strategy for established tumor models. The tumor volume was measured and tumor tissues were harvested for immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis. After co-culture with BMSC-originated exosomes, glioma cells showed an up-regulated transcription of miR-1592, along with inhibited phosphorylation and activation of PI3K/AKT signal pathway. Moreover, glioma cells exhibited reduced migration and invasiveness In Vitro, which was accompanied by diminished levels of proteins involved in cellular invasiveness. Simultaneously, co-culture with BMSC-originated exosomes can restrain glioma cell proliferation via facilitating cell apoptosis In Vivo and In Vitro. In conclusion, exosome-encapsulated microRNA-1592 from BMSCs can suppress the In Vivo and In Vitro development of glioma through interfering with PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

I smoke to cope with pain: patients' perspectives on the link between cigarette smoking and pain

BACKGROUND

For people with chronic pain, cigarette smoking is associated with greater pain intensity and impairment. Researchers have hypothesized a reciprocal relationship in which pain and smoking exacerbate each other, resulting in greater pain and increased smoking. This study aimed to qualitatively examine patient perspectives on this association.

METHODS

A retrospective thematic analysis of smoking cessation counseling notes for 136 veterans in the Pain and Smoking Study, a tailored smoking cessation trial, was conducted. A validated codebook was applied to each counseling note by four independent coders using Atlas.ti (Atlas.ti, Berlin, Germany). Coders participated in a consensus-forming exercise with salient themes validated among the wider research team.

KEY RESULTS

Participants averaged 60 years of age (range 28-77 years) and were 9% female. The median number of cigarettes smoked per day was 15, with a mean pain intensity score in the last week (from 0-10) of 5.1. While not all patients acknowledged a connection between pain and smoking, we found that (1) pain motivates smoking and helps manage pain-related distress, as a coping strategy and through cognitive distraction, and (2) pain motivates smoking but smoking does not offer pain relief. Concerns about managing pain without smoking was identified as a notable barrier to cessation.

CONCLUSION

Many patients with chronic pain who smoke readily identified pain as a motivator of their smoking behavior and are reluctant to quit for this reason. Integrated interventions for smokers with pain should address these perceptions and expectancies and promote uptake of more adaptive self-management strategies for pain.